In August 5th of 2016 (Friday), 10 students of the Escola de Formação de Oficiais da Marinha Mercante (EFOMM) – Merchant Marine Academy (EFOMM)- visited the sailboat Traning Ship Danmark (TS Danmark) which was anchored at the Guanabara Bay. The vessel came from Denmark and this voyage is named Olympic Voyage 2016, since they were here to watch the Olympic Games, hosted in the city of Rio de Janeiro and that attracted the World’s  attention during this period.

This visit was result of the 2013 partnership of Brazilian Navy, Danish Government and the MARTEC company, which is responsible for the vessel. So that, CIAGA highlighted CT (T) Reis to be the connection officer between the ship and MB. In the last 3 years, it has been housing the cadets who had the best academic performance in the Nautical Course and the Engineers Course of the two Merchant Marine Academies of Brazil, one of them located at CIAGA (Centro de Instrução Almirante Graça Aranha) in Rio de Janeiro, and the other located at CIABA (Centro de Instrução Almirante Braz de Aguiar) in the the city of Belem in the state of Pará.

The Danish Government had the TS Danmark built in 1932. Their desire was to have a training ship that was capable of meeting their expectations. Inside of her, there are 80 cadets besides the 15 people who compose the crew. The ship has three mast which use the wind as the propulsion in order to sail through the seas and visit a lot of regions around the globe.

Through this voyage, these cadets can learn primordial values that permeate the human relationships and that are essential to form good professional realationships which include: cooperation, friendship, teamwork, leadership, discipline, respect an so on. Also,this experience enhances or awakens an unspeakable love for the life at sea. After this voyage, they become Ordinary Seaman (OS) and to ascend in their career they need sailtime and they have to undergo some stages as well.

The students were receptioned  aboard by the TS Danmark Captain whose name is Kurt Andersen that welcomed the students of the EFOMM. There was a fancy lunch in celebration of this Olympic Voyage. Some trainees led the Brazilian students through the ship in order to increase the cultural exchange between the two countries.

Check the photos of the visit:

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(Fotos: Als. Felipe Dias, Sérgio Mesquita e Lorrayne / Jornal Pelicano)

About the ship:

wedding dress

TS DANMARK (Copenhagen)

Construction 1932
Tonnage 790t.
Length 77m.
Beam 9,8m.
Draft 5,2m.
Propulsion Sail, Diesel engine
Complement 80 trainees and 15 crew

The interexchange

There are approximately 80 danish trainees, 51 men and 26 women. They are split in four groups of 20 people. In these groups they work in their routine assigments and their sailor’s tasks. There was a shift in which, for 5 days, each group was lodged at CIAGA. This promoted the interaction  between the Brazilian and the Danish people. During this period, the trainees experienced a little of the EFOMM students’ routine, they had samba classes at the Salão Nobre of the Grêmio de Vela e Remo, and they watched the Flag Ceremony occurred in August 16th of 2016 in which the Danish Flag was displayed at the mast at the starboard withe, as it’s required in the navy traditions.

This cultural interexchange was intensified through some touristic rides across the state of Rio de Janeiro.

For more information, check MARTEC’s website: https://www.martec.nu/1210